Heart of the Beast
by Doctor Kenshirou Yukiharu
Summary: **Bloody Roar/Werewolf: The Apocalypse/Vampire: The Masquerade X-Over** The Kindred find a new source of the "Embrace"-- Zoanthropes
1. Assault

  
  
  


**Heart of the Beast**  
_Bloody Roar/Vampire: The Masquerade/Werewolf: The Apocalypse_  
Part One  
Written by _The Doctor_

  
  
  


**DISCLAIMER**

_All Bloody Roar characters belong to Hudson, V:tM and W:tA belongs to White-Wolf Inc. Squall Leonhart belongs to Squaresoft, Brad Crawford belongs to Project Wei. Dhârien Greystone, Basara Leonhart, Kenshirou Kodachi (Yukiharu), Tanaka Kodachi (Seishirou Yukiharu) belong to me_   


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"There has been a recent rash of attacks caused by an unknown beast. The victims have been ex-sanguinated and sometimes vital blood-rich organs have been eaten out of them. This is not surprising however, because of certain unnatural zoanthropes have the craving for human flesh. But however, this case is not the work of unnatural zoanthropes." The phone rang on and on, until a tired hand reached for the phone. A very cute young man with brown hair and a scar dotting the bridge of his nose picked up the stylish cordless on the nightstand. "Hello?" He spoke in a very tired voice. "Basara? You know what time it is?" He looked at his alarm clock. "I see. Don't cry." The young man stood up, knocking over an already shattered picture of a woman to the ground. The glass broke even more but the young man paid no heed to it. He walked to the window as rain fell on the Russian town, hearing his little brother sob on the phone. "I know, baby." He spoke softly and big-brotherly. "Try not to take it to heart, k? Always remember, big brother always loves you. Alright, Basara. Good night." He hung up the phone and sat down in the artistically crafted chair overlooking the city. Taking a cigarette from the table, he lit it and took a nice long drag then exhaled. Hearing the news playing behind him, the handsome Russian boy enjoyed the smoke in his hand and lounged in the chair. Overlooking the apartment was the cabin in which Peter the Great stayed in. Yes, he was in St. Petersburg, Russia. He closed his eyes and went back to sleep, but something woke up him. Turning around, his tired cat's eyes focused in on the darkness. "Who's there?" There was no noise to speak of, no one replied, no answer. Just dead air. Then the stench of the grave hit his nostrils, violating them. Getting out of the seat, he growled as he retain cat-like features. "I warn you! I am Khan!!!" Suddenly from out of nowhere a deformed man with a scarred face emerged from the shadows and snarled and hissed at the cat-boy. He gained claws and vampiric fangs. It lunged at the Russian Khan, making a blood-curdling shriek.   
  


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Uriko Nonomura kicked the hackey-sack around for a while while waiting at the bus-stop. With her was an old man, a woman with 7 kids, and a teenage punk with blue and red hair. She accidentally kicked it out of the way, landing at the feet of someone unexpected. The man bent down to pick it up, he was uber, uber handsome. His hair was glossy and raven-black, his eyes were midnight blue and sparkling with life and wisdom of the ages, but they were somewhat hidden by tinted glasses. He wore a black button-up shirt with rolled up sleeves, a silver necklace with a strange amethyst cross as the pendant, black dress pants and black loafers. He was carrying with him a large black backpack with a Tony the Tiger and Lobo the Wolf keychains, but the Tony the Tiger keychain looked lik it recieved a handmade paint job because it was now white instead of the orange color the original spokesman for Kellog's Frosted Flakes. "Did you drop this?" He smiled as he handed the hackey-sack back to Uriko. The 15-year-old girl stared dreamily into the handsome man's face, stars sparkled in her eyes. "Uuughhhmmmmm...." "Yoo-hoo." He waved his hand in front of her face. "The bus is here." Snapping out of her bubble, Uriko saw that the bus had just arrived. She giggled sheepishly. "So it is!" She ran in forgetting about the hackey-sack. The man saw that he still had possession of the hackey-sack. "H-hey!! Miss!! Your cloth ball!!" The bus already took off at this point, the man held the hackey-sack in his hand and sighed. "Oh well, Basara's kitten Boots will have hours of fun with this." He put it in his pocket and continued walking. He walked down the street until he arrived at a fancy chinese restaurant with a tiger costume out in the front handing fliers to people. He walked up to the man in the funny tiger costume and giggled. "Slow day, Long?" The person removed the tiger mask and sighed. "I can't breathe in here, it's too stuffy." The handsome man giggled and took a flier from Long's hands. "Two-for-one eggrolls special?" He quirked an eyebrow. "I don't get it." "For the price of one eggroll appetizer, you get two." "I know that. But the appetizer is only 99 cents." "I know I know. It's what Grandpa wanted." Long sighed and put the hood back on. "I hate this thing." "Put a fan in there." "I can't put it in here... too big." "Your funeral." The man handed Long a glass of ice water, smiling. "Good bye." "Have a nice day." The man walked into the prestigious school of theatrics and set his backpack aside, on the stage was a very beautiful young man with long white hair and wearing very Victorian-style clothes and his hair was styled in a very Victorian way. He was acting with another man, the Trials of Oscar Wilde, he of course was Lord Alfred Douglas. The young man was Oscar Wilde, the scene was Robert and Douglas trying to convince Oscar to leave the country and avoid the trial. "Cut!" The director stood up, shouting at the cast. "You don't have sadness in your voice, Ross! Ross was a very emotional man!! Let's break for the day, I have a headache!" The beauty stepped off the stage, but spotted in the darkness, the man in black. He smiled with glee and ran to the man, wrapping his arms around him. "Brad!" "Oh Basara! You were wonderful!" "That wasn't my best." Basara giggled delightly and escorted him to his dressing room. "I'll never be good as my brother." "Rubbish. You are just as good as Squall." Brad sat down in the couch and let his lover plop his head on his lap. "But Squall won two Tonys." "Don't measure your accomplishments with useless statues." Brad smiled, stroking Basara's hair. "I know. Oh Brad, you're so kind to me." "You deserve nothing less." Basara giggled and held Brad close. "Let's get something to eat afterward." "Sure."   
Unbeknownst to them, someone was watching them...   
  
  


**-Continued-**


	2. True Companion

  
  
  


**Heart of the Beast**  
_Part Two: True Companion_

  
  
  
"Just the other day, I saw this really cute guy!" Uriko crooned as her and Shana walked to school. "I was going to the mall and this babe just appeared out of nowhere!!" "Really?? What'd he look like?" "Well, he had short black hair and the prettiest dark blue eyes and the most gorgeous voice!" Uriko sighed contently. "I think I'm in love." "Hey, look! It's Yugo!" Uriko and Shana turned to the parking lot of the animal hospital as he was unloading something from the pet carrier. It was a grey and white wolf and it had a leash on it. The wolf's left paw was bandaged and it was slightly limping. Yugo petted it on the head softly and reassuringly, it panted contently to its' master's affections. "Kenji did say that Yugo got a pet dog." Uriko blinked, then frowned. "He also said that Yugo was allergic to cats!" "Bummer." Yugo stepped into the clinic and up to the receptionist he went. "I'm Ohgami Yugo, I had an appointment." "Yes, you did." The woman responded in kind. "Your dog, Fang was wounded while playing outside." "Yes, he was." "Take a seat, Dr. Yukiharu will be right with you." Yugo sat down next to a young man with brown hair and blue eyes. He wore a black bomber jacket with a fluffy collar, and a mesh shirt underneath. He had a cat in his arms, petting her head affectionately. The cat was an orange tabby with the prettiest green eyes. It purred in the young man's arms, he himself, looked like Hell warmed over. "You don't look so good." Yugo said before sneezing. "...long flight." The young pretty boy responded, his voice had a distinct Russian accent. "I see. We all have that." Yugo patted him on the back then noticed something off on the boy's neck. _Puncture wounds!!!_ The young man petted the cat affectionately, but he was on the verge of collapsing from blood loss. The receptionist walked up and smiled. "Mr. Leonhart. The vet will see you now... Mr. Leonhart?" The boy collapsed, the cat meowed loudly and ran off. Yugo jolted out of his seat, Fang barked nervously and paced. "SOMEONE CALL THE HOSPITAL!!!!"   
  


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"No no no no!!! You're killing me, Basara!!" The director slammed his megaphone on the ground and stomped on it repeatedly. "Raise your voice!! RAISE YOUR VOICE!!!" Brad stood in the shadows, very concerned for his young lover's well-being. Basara looked like he was on the verge of breaking into a fit of weeping and the director's irrate screaming and debasing wasn't helping matters much. His arms were folded against his chest, his midnight eyes locked onto the back of the director's head. Finally, the director screamed at Basara way too many times, the Russian angel ran off the stage, crying. Brad ran to the stage, using the director's head as a spring board, and followed Basara to the dressing room. Basara slammed the door and cried into his vanity, but the door opened and Brad calmly walked in. "Basara?" "I'm a failure!!" Basara sobbed, letting his soft locks of white hair fall against his face. "No you're not." Brad sat down beside him and stroked his back softly. "The director... hell, the whole theatrical academy thinks because you're a Leonhart, they expect you to be just as talented as your older brother." "But I'm _NOT_ Squall!!! I will never be as good as Squall!!!" "Don't say that!" Brad collected Basara's hands in his, making their gazes meet. "You'll be just as good as Squall as long as you put your heart into the performance, maybe better." "You really think so?" "Yes. With all my heart." The director walked in, his nose bandaged and looking a little disheaveled. He set the script of The Twelfth Night on Basara's vanity and grumbled. "Frankily I don't give a flying rat's ass that you're a Leonhart. You're ruining my career!! However, the patron of the Fine Arts, Janus Fairbane wants to see you reinact the role of Viola in _Twelfth Night_. I don't see why either." "So soon?" Brad asked slowly, hesitant. "He need to rehurse." "WHO ASKED YOU!!!???" The director shouted at Brad, growling. "...I refuse." Basara threw the script at the diector's feet. "What!? This is Janus Fairbane we're talking about here!! THE foremost patron of the Fine Arts of Paris, France!!!" "...I still refuse." Basara got up from his seat, then went for the dressing closet. "You're ruining me, Basara!!!" "..." Basara didn't budge from his spot, he fumbled through the closet until he found a nice Victorian outfit to wear. "You should be worrying more about your life than your career." Brad growled at the director, his hands crackled with lightning. "B-but..." "Basara refuses, that is his wish. You can't force him to do this against his will. I won't let you. Leave now." The director ran off into the darkened hallway, Brad closed the door and turned toward the lovely Basara. He held a black Victorian outfit for Brad, smiling. "Would you like to perform a scene from 'The Trials of Oscar Wilde' with me?" "Let me guess." Brad smirked as he took the outfit. "I'll be Oscar Wilde." "Why yes, that was my intention." Basara giggled and winked at his bishounen-god lover. "Alright." Brad slid the shirt off his manly body and tossed it aside. "Which part do you want us to act out first?" "How about..." Basara seductively walked to Brad and wrapped his arms around him, kissing him tenderly. "...the part where Oscar and Alfred Douglas make love for the first time?" "Sounds like a better place than any to start." Brad grinned, pushing Basara on the couch and then getting on top of him.   
  


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"How is he, doctor?" "It's hard to say." The handsome young auburn-haired doctor responded to Yugo's question. "He lost a lot of blood and he's getting sensative to light nowadays. I think he's gone under the effects of the vampire's kiss." "The what's what?" "When a vampire creates another, it's called the Embrace..." "I see." "We need to contact his family, he's got one here in the city." "Yes, let's do that." The doctor walked away for the phone, Yugo knelt down and petted Fang as he whined softly. The orange tabby meowed sadly as she was perched on the shelf.   
  


**-Continued-**


	3. Storm before the Calm

  
  
  


**Heart of the Beast**  
_Part Three: Storm before the Calm_

  
  
  
By the time Basara got to the hospital, Squall's body was cold and pale. The frail beauty rushed to his brother's side and grabbed Squall's hand. "Brother!! I'm here!!" Squall's lifeless eyes stared into Basara's, his hand barely squeezed Basara's slender hands. The beauty kissed his brother's hand over and over again, feeling the icy chill of death creep slowly into Squall's youthful body. Basara's tears touched Squall's hand, trying so hard to keep from crying. "Dear brother, what happened??!!" Brad gingerly tipped the side of Squall's chin to the side and frowned sadly, his fingers caressed the puncture wounds. "Vampire. He's been bitten." "No!!! I don't want to lose my brother!!!" Carefully, Brad closed the curtains and the door, then shut the blinds. He unbuttoned his sleeves and headed straight for the bed, stroking Basara's hair. "He's already turned, Basara. Until he's fed his blood, your brother is a monster." "Brad!! No!!! Tell me it's not true!!" "....it's true. I'm sorry." He ripped the wires and things from Squall's body, then extended his arm to the Russian bishounen. Immediately, Squall drew fangs and bit into Brad's wrist, he sucked Brad's blood intently. After a minute, Brad slowly pushed Squall off of him and watched as the teenager broke into tears. "I can't believe with all my martial arts training, I still got bit!!" "Good Celerity and good Fortitude will defeat well-trained martial artists anyday." Brad spoke softly, then stroked Squall's hair gently. "I became a monster! Look at me! I can't look at my brother without looking away in shame!" "That's not true...!" "It is true! I'm a monster!!" Squall buried his face in his hands, but was soon knocked to his senses when Basara hugged him tightly. "I still love you, brother!! Nothing will ever change that!!" Basara sobbed. "You got to remember to always be strong!" "B-basara..." Brad finished bandaging his wrist, watching to see if anything else happened. Which nothing did, he was greatly pleased that Basara was not repulsed by the fact that Squall's a vampire now. But at te same time, Brad feels a little upset, like Basara.   
  


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"Hottie? What do you mean there's a hottie walking around the city?" Alice asked, not knowing what to think about the situation. "Yup! I saw him twice! Once at the bus stop and the second time at the Chinese restaurant where Long works in!" Uriko then sighed dreamily. "I gotta see this for myself." Alice sipped her drink. Yugo and Kenji sat off in their corner, listening to the girls talk about the mysterious cutey that keeps popping up every now and then. "What's with them? They never go ga-ga over us or anything." "Ah, Kenji-san..." Yugo began with his corny Pat Morita voice. "Never underestimate the Femme Fanatikus in large packs. They will attack unprovoked." "Femme fanatikus? Fangirls?" As to reply, Yugo patted Kenji on the back, then fed Alice's cooking to Fang. Kenji moved the plate over to Yugo and he did just the same. "Did you enjoy breakfast?" Alice walked over to them, smiling. "Yes, we did. It was really yummy. Oh! Look at the time. Kenji, it's off to school with you." "But today's Sunday." "No buts." Yugo took Fang's leash in one hand and Kenji's hand in the other and they hurried off. Alice sighed and folded her arms, Uriko moaned. "What are those boys up to?"   
  


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Peeking around the corner, the entity watched as Brad and Basara got out of the limousine. Basara was wearing something to hug his beautiful figure and Brad of course, was wearing a tuxedo. They walked up the red carpet into the foyer of the five-star hotel and vanished from the thing's view. Inside the hotel was a lively party of all the big whigs of the theatrical world. Basara walked up to a guest and asked for Janus Fairbane. The woman pointed to the door on the left, Brad and Basara walked over to it and opened it up. Inside was a woman in a lovely evening gown and a glass of sparkling champagne in her hand. She spotted them and smiled, signaling them over. "I am Janus Fairbane." She extended her hand, Brad accepted it and kissed it. "Oo, a real gentleman. Can't find too many of those around anymore." "I am Bradley Crawford, this is my beautiful lover, Basara Leonhart." "I do see you around when Basara is at the School of the Fine Arts." Janus smiled brighter. "I am impressed with Basara's talent, it is a shame that Mr. Travis likes to bully the best." "Yes, I was going to do away with him myself." "No need. My cohorts did that for me." Janus walked over to the drink table. "Would any of you like something? A glass of brandy or wine?" "I'll just have some iced tea with lemon." Basara spoke up, smiling. "I'll have some brandy." Brad replied. Janus served them their drinks and sat down, signalling for them to do the same. "I was a bit surprised that you refused to reinact Twelfth Night." The beautiful woman began, taking another sip. "I refused because of the director. I didn't want it to come back and offend you though." "None taken." "I have been considering for a while of taking Basara out of the school." Brad's posture suggested something. "Because of Mr. Travis? I told you, he's been taken care of." "No..." Brad leaned forward, his glare mennacing. "...the school caters to vampires." "..." Janus was at first appalled, then she grinned. But there was something about her grin. "Y-you're a vampire!?" Basara jolted right out of his seat, frightened. Janus got up as well, her eyes on Basara. "Your talents impressed me, just like your brother's impressed me. I had Squall embraced to the dark side because of his talent in the theater." "Bitch...." Brad moved in front of Basara, shielding him from Janus. "I won't let you have him." "Who's going to stop me?" "I am." Brad zapped her out the window with a nice, healthy jolt of lightning. He took Basara by the hand and they ran out of the hotel, into the darkness of the city. The thing watching them followed as well, then called them over to an alley. The thing watching them was a black and grey werewolf with a familiar glyph. "A Black Fury!" Brad shouted, the female werewolf escorted them to safety as many frenzied vampires rushed right by.   
  
  


**-Continued-**


	4. Road to Perdition

  
  
  


**Heart of the Beast**  
_Part Four: Road to Perdition_

  
  
  
"Squall?" Basara cheerfully walked into the living room, happy to see his older brother sitting at the table. "Would you like some lemon cookies?" "Sure. Although I can't eat human food." He could see it in Basara's eyes that he couldn't accept the fact that Squall was no longer a living being. No matter how easy the concept may be. Squall turned away, looking at the tv and frowning. "...do I repulse you?" "Do I.... No! That's not true! You are my brother!" "Then why do you look at me like you can't comprehend that I am Walking Dead?" "Because..." Basara looked away, tears pouring over from his eyes. "I don't want to comprehend that. I never wanted to see the day that my older brother turned into a vampire. I never prepared for such a case, and now it's finally happened. It's like... it's a leech in a Squall skin." "...then why....?" Squall's voice was low, yet mennacing. "Why treat me as your brother if I'm a 'leech in a Squall skin'!?" "Because!!!" Basara threw the tray down harshly causing it to break. "I can never get over the fact that you're my brother yet you live in the world of the night time as a vampire wearing my brother's face as his mask!! And when I look into your eyes, I see that you had given up all hope of life and yet... Squall was never a quitter!!" The beauty rushed into the bedroom and slammed the door, Squall was already out of his seat, trying to reach out for his younger brother. //_You know you want to._// "Who is this?" The voice was female... and it was familiar. //_I'll throw myself at the Prince's mercy... just relax. You... turn Basara into a vampire._// "No!!! Basara is too pure!!" //_Do it!!!!_ Squall walked into the bedroom, Basara was crying into the pillow. The Russian prince grabbed Basara's hair and yanked it back. Basara screamed, trying to keep his brother from taking that fatal bite. But he was paralyzed. //_Yes!! Do it!! Feed your hunger!!_// Further sinking down to bite into Basara's neck, Squall drew his fangs. Tooth scraped against skin, but he was very hesitant of it. Basara sobbed and gasped, pleading with what little voice he had to get his brother to stop. Squall fought as hard as he could, but it was almost as if someone pushed him down. His fangs sank into Basara's tender skin, the reflex caused Squall to start sucking Basara's blood. Basara stopped struggling, in fact, he stopped moving. Squall pulled away and pushed himself from his brother's body. He screamed out, the windows shattered behind him. He took that fatal leap out the window, screaming Basara's name.   
  


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"Basara!" Opening his eyes, Basara looked hazily into Brad's midnight blue eyes. "W-what happened?" "We were able to get the vampiric toxin from your blood." The handsome auburn-haired doctor smiled sadly. "But only a transfusion will compensate for the loss." "S-squall? Where is he?" "...dead." Brad's glare turned cold. "He threw himself out of the window and fell 49 feet to his Final Death." "N-no!!!" "Please..." Brad held him closely, stroking his soft hair. "Rest." "My brother is dead..." The beautiful Basara wept on Brad's chest, clinging to the black turtleneck Brad was wearing. Stroking Basara's white hair, the mage's eyes locked firmly on the red roses by the bed. Deep in his mind, he knew who was responsible. It was time for payback--Brad Crawford style.   
  


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"Come on, Fang." Yugo lightly tugged at Fang's leash as they walked down the darkened street of the city. Looking around, Yugo had the slightest feeling that something bad was gonna happen. Fang's uneasy behavior rose that suspicion even more, his eyes shifted and he looked around. His hair was on end, a low growl escaped his snout. Yugo dropped the pooper scooper when the shadows began to shift. A figure emerged from them, a very handsome figure with long red hair and a yellow headband. He also had red shades and a black double-breasted jacket. The man spoke with a very distinct German accent. "Gutenabend, herr wulf." At this point, Fang was snarling, his eyes glowing in an eerie way. "I will not hurt you...." The man grinned with vampire fangs, his green eyes sparkled. "...much."   
  
  


**-Continued-**


	5. The Vampire Erik

  
  
  


**Heart of the Beast**  
_Part Five: The Vampire Erik_

  
  
  
"W-who... who are you?" Yugo growled, his hands balled in tight fists. It was easy to see that Yugo was afraid, since he's used to dealing with zoanthropes, humans and the occasional uppity lycanthrope. "Just your friendly neighborhood Methuselah with a knack for Obtenebration, nothing more." The german vampire smiled, his hands still in his pockets. "Nice Glass Walker you got there." "G-glass Walker?" Yugo did a double take, then watched as the handsome vampire began walking away. "Hey!! Wait a minute! I thought you were gonna fight!!" "Silly mortal. Don't you know anything? The Ventrue _DON'T_ pick fights. We leave that to the Brujah." The vampire vanished around the bend. "What a pompous ass..." Yugo groaned, then looked at Fang. He knelt down and tried to get a hold on Fang's collar. "Glass Walker, eh? That means you have a human form." Fang tore from his leash and backed away from Yugo, whimpering. Frowning concernedly, Yugo took three steps forward in hopes to snag the wolf. "I'm not gonna hurt you, Fang. I'm not angry." The wolf dashed off, Yugo fell flat on his face. Getting up and spitting garbage from his mouth, Yugo shouted for Fang to return to him. "FANG!!!!"   
  


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"This is a good a seat as any!" Alice giggled, still clutching Uriko's hand, they sat at a corner booth just as Long was bringing out the tea kettle and cups. He saw the giggling girls and moaned loudly and very noticably. "You two again..." "What's wrong, Master Long? No one crooning over you anymore?" Alice giggled and winked at him. "We came here to see the handsome guy!" Uriko giggled and went to pour some tea. "..." Long half-heartedly set the tea kettle down and folded his arms in an angry fashion. This got a startled reaction from the girls. "W-what's wrong?" "Oh nothing." Long frowned and turned away. "Considering how _INCONSIDERATE_ you two are... Brad's lover's brother was killed last night so he's took some time off to help him cope. _THAT's_ why I'm wearing black today." "...I see." Uriko frowned sadly, then looked at the spilled tea on the table. "I didn't mean to..." "You didn't mean to? Your intentions of coming here are the same everyday." Long's voice was bitter and angry. "But you never consider that that 'cute guy' has feelings and he has a lover with the same feelings and now they're in mourning." "..." "Now, what would you like to eat?" "Oh... just soup will do." Alice said in a low voice. "Me too... I lost my appetite."   
  


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"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust...." The priest buried the remains of Squall into the ground, unaware he sanctified a vampire. Basara held onto Brad, crying on Brad's shoulder. The handsome arch-mage held his lover tightly, resting his cheek on Basara's forehead. Seeing his brother finally put to eternal rest, Basara felt more at ease, but the grief kicked him back into sorrow. Brad's hand rubbed up and down Basara's back softly, his touch comforting and soothing. After the funeral, Basara walked over to the black Rols Royce Phantom III, Brad close behind. A voice spoke up from behind them, causing Brad to turn around. A man stood there with short black and red hair and shades. He wore a black business suit, like Brad, except he wore a necktie clip of a fox instead of the Amethyst Cross. "Hello Tanaka." Brad began, then gently kissed Basara's forehead. "Meet me back at the car, beauty." "I won't be long." Tanaka started. "He can stay." "Alright." Brad pulled Basara back into his arms and held him close. Basara held him just the same, his head on Brad's shoulder. "There's an uprising in the Kin-Jin ranks." Tanaka spoke softly, careful that no ears hear him. "What's that got to do with Squall being needlessly killed?" "Think, Brad. This is _KUEI-JIN_ territory. No Kin-Jin... sane Kin-Jin mind you, would enter Kuei-Jin territory without some form of desperate motivation or something." "So the Cainites are entering Cathayan territory for some kind of desperate motive..." "Don't you speak English? Aren't you from America?" Tanaka frowned, his silver eyes narrowed. "I know I know. But you don't think that this mass embracing has something to do with the uprising in the Eastern Seaboard of the USofA, right?" "But..." Tanaka spoke. "Squall wasn't embraced to handle the crisis in America. This was the work of a desperate Toreador trying to get back what was lost to her by one of her own." "... I see now." Brad's anger rose to sky high heights. "So Squall was the product of a fallen Toreador's hope to reclaim her fame." "His death and your ranks in Magedom is the major threats to Janus's re-rise." Tanaka put his hands in his pockets. "Watch yourself, Bradley... you're worth more to Basara alive than dead." "That's the problem..." He watched Tanaka leave. "...I _CAN'T_ die."   
  
  


**-Continued-**


	6. Twelfth Night

  
  
  


**Heart of the Beast**  
_Part Six: Twelfth Night_

  
  
  
Janus covered her lips with lipstick, her limousine heading for the Russian theater. Little known to her that someone was stalking her--someone with a dark purpose. He leapt from building to building with superhuman speed, his green eyes staring down at the limousine, letting his Auspex do the walking. He leapt over a tall building and took his spot on a smaller building below. Near that building was the theater where in bright lights were the words _'Romanaski Theater presents Twelfth Night starring Basara Leonhart'_. The stalker's green eyes lit up in morbid delight, but he looked up to see another figure on the roof of the theater. He groaned and spoke a few colorful German words. Janus got out of the limousine and continued on her way, then saw Tanaka standing there at the foyer, watching her. Very unnerved by this, the Toreador walked down the hallway passed Tanaka. In her head, she heard Tanaka speak. //_You angered more than a Khan beauty, you blood-sucking slut._// Janus turned around, only to find Tanaka had vanished without a trace. "..."   
  


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"This will be so sweet! I'm finally gonna get intimate with Basara!" Ross gloated for an hour in his dressing room. "I'm the almighty Duke Orsino while Basara plays Lady Viola!!" "You're not gonna be Orsino... not if I have anything to say about it." "Who's there?" The actor turned around, only to have a hand in his face. Brad's glaring midnight eyes stared into his. "Sleep." Ross fell asleep, his script fell from his hand. Brad put on the outfit and pasted a mustache under his chin. Breathing a sigh of relief, Brad disposed of the sleeping Ross in the closet and locked the door. "What else am I forgetting? Oh! The script!" Brad picked up the script and activated his psionic powers, giving the script a once-over. "Ooooooohhhh... I _just_ realized how MUCH I hated Shakespeare..." The new director, a female director barged in. "Yo! Ross!! You're on in three minutes!" "Okay." Brad nodded and gave the script another once-over.   
  


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"F-fang!!!" Yugo ran as far as he could, spotting a human boy running off. Instinct told him to follow him, Yugo followed, unsure of what to call the boy. He was whapped in the face with a collar, looking at it while running, he realized immediately who it was. "FANG!!!!" Yugo ran after him, soon realizing that he was catching up. The boy turned around, revealing his beautiful golden eyes, sparkling with soft tears. Yugo slowly grabbed the boy's arm, jolting the boy from his stride. Looking at the boy up close, Yugo saw the boy had short brown hair, red and black vest-like coat, faded black jeans and a black collar. The boy was barefoot and his feet appeared cut by glass, Yugo saw specks of blood behind them. He hefted the boy into his arms, but the teenager struggled to get out of Yugo's grasp. "Easy, Fang. I won't hurt you, I'm not angry." Carrying Fang to his apartment, Fang's struggling was more futile and less full-hearted. Opening the door, Yugo unbuttoned Fang's shirt, seeing his body covered in dirt and mud. "You need a bath." Fang jumped out of his seat and ran for the door, Yugo grabbed the teenager's arm and slung him over the shoulder. As Fang stuggled, Yugo was carrying him to the bathroom. Fang yelped and yiped and whined and pouted, but the persistant Yugo put him in the bathtub and pulled off all his clothes. "This is for your own good." "WHINE!!!!" Fang watched the rushing water fill in the bathtub and the suds of the soap consume the scrub brush in Yugo's hand. "I'm gonna make you all nice and clean!" Yugo grinned and scrubbed Fang's hair, getting all the dirt, tangles and fleas out. Fang let the young man scrub his body with the brush, it actually felt good to his skin. "So were you born a boy or were you born a wolf?" Yugo asked between switching body parts. "Bow?" Fang tipped his head to the side, then sighed. "I was born a boy." "Why the dog act?" The wolf zoanthrope asked softly, the brush still in his hand. "Because..." Fang hugged his knees and looked at the water sadly. "I had some brushings-against with a mage." "M-mage?" "Yes. Garou and Mages don't get along at all. My pack picked a fight with this young man... he looked like a college student... but he was so powerful that we all didn't see it coming. I turned into a wolf to escape but the mage's mental blast injured my paw." "...that's when I found you." "Hai. The bad part was, the man had a symbol on his neck. Any real supernatural would pick up what that symbol was... but we all blatently ignored it and decided since he was a mage, he deserved to die." "Symbol?" "The Amethyst Cross... it's the holy symbol of the Exemplar of Concordia. Only the Exemplar is ordained to wear the Cross of Concordia...." "This Exemplar... what'd he look like?" "He was very handsome... he looked a lot like James Marsden with black hair. He wore a black shirt and pants... his eyes... they reminded me of what I'd see when I looked in the nighttime sky." "I know who that is." "Y-you do?" "Yeah. He's this really weird guy who works in the Golden Tiger Restaraunt. All the girls are crazy for him and he frequently goes to the theatrical school for some odd reason although he never really goes there for acting lessions." "I see..." Yugo nodded and then folded his arms. "You went toe-to-toe with this guy and expected to live?" "I know, I'm sorry." "It's alright. As long as you don't do that again, you should be fine." "I hope so."   
  
  


**-Continued-**


	7. Duke Orsino and Lady Viola

  
  
  


**Heart of the Beast**  
_Part Seven: Duke Orsino and Lady Viola_

  
  
  
The lights were staggeringly hot, Brad couldn't show his nervousness. He stepped up onto the stage as the revealing of Viola and Sebastian came up. Basara was very pretty in that black uniform and wearing a fake white mustache although he was meant to look like Viola in Sebastian's clothes. The make-up artists did a good job, Brad was thoroughly pleased. During the unveiling, Brad feigned shock and appallment rather well. During the kiss scene between Viola and Duke Orsino, Basara closed his eyes upon Brad's lips touching his. //_Oh gods, he kisses like Brad!!?? Ross is so talented!!_// //_He doesn't know... does he? Better way to keep the suspicion low..._// The curtains lowered and Brad rushed for the back stage, Basara still winded by the kiss. The female director walked into Ross's room and heard pounding coming from the closet. She opened the closet and Ross spilled out onto the floor. "There's an imposture in the theater!!" "What?" The female director frowned, then stuffed him back into the closet. "Well, I never did like you anyway, Ross." "You can't do this to me!! I'm an actor!!!!" "A _BAD_ actor..." She closed the door and locked it again, just as Brad walked into to adjust his mustache. He soon found the African-American director standing there. "....oh.... the secret's out I guess." "You are brilliant!" She slapped her hands on Brad's shoulders. "The crowd loved you and I don't even know your name!" "To tell you the truth..." Brad looked back, then at the director. "You won't believe me if I told you... I am a mage, my lover's in this production. His life is in mortal danger. I posed as Ross to see him safely through the play without harm." The woman blinked, then saw the Amethyst Cross sparkling from his neckine. Her jaw nearly dropped and then she presented her Order of Hermes' pendant from her neck. "I knew there was an odd aura about you." She smiled with a believing sparkle in her dark brown eyes. "Well, I believe you." "Thank-you." "Get out there and knock them dead, sugah!" She smiled and walked out. Brad grinned and nudged the door. "Sorry, Ross..." "YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!!! I AM AN ACTOR!!!!" Brad casted a Mute spell and walked out. "Ahhhh, silence is fucking golden."   
Tanaka looked off to the side with his silver eyes and spotted a familiar head of auburn hair sitting behind Janus. He opened his pocket watch and looked inside, then slowly closed it. Looking around, Tanaka stood up but then felt an amazing force sitting in the back of his row. Looking in that direction, he spotted a handsome red-head looking back at him, smiling recognizingly. Tanaka moved through the crowd, sitting next to the German, taking out a small vial of blood. The German snatched it and drank it. "Danke." The German grinned, presenting his Euthanatos pendant. "For a mage, you make a killer vampire." Tanaka whispered. The German removed the fangs from his mouth and put them in his pocket. "I had to do something to explain my Shadow magic." "Lasombra." "Ja." The German handed Tanaka some papers. "This is some juicy tidbits on Janus Fairbane." "We both were right, Janus is a fallen star looking for a quick rise to fame." "But..." The German grinned and flipped the page to the side. "That's not all. The Leonharts are very very famous theater actors. Most of them have won at least one Tony for their roles in certain plays. But they are most credited for are playing very convincing... strong emphasis on 'very'... female roles. With the exception of Carishär Leonhart and his 257-pound body of pure muscle..." "But Caris was a Khan, most Leonharts were Khans." "Right, that's why most Kindred don't want to Embrace a Leonhart, the risk is super great. And since Janus is a Toreador with no combat skills whatsoever..." "She hired someone else to soften the first Leonhart son up so she can move in for the kill." "Bingo." The German nodded and smiled, shuffling through the papers. "Her chauffeur was the one who roughened him up. He's a Nosferatu." "And Nosferatu have Fortitude and Celerity." "Ja." "Bingo." Tanaka and the German mage turned toward the direction where Janus is sitting. The Yakuza hitman and his companion went closer to the seats and sat down almost behind the auburn-haired man. The handsome man looked almost exactly like Tanaka, only with slate-blue eyes and normal glasses. "Who's that?" "Kenshirou... he's my twin brother." Tanaka whispered in the German's ear. "I assigned him guard duty to watch Janus like a hawk." "The play's coming back on."   
"Basara." The female director walked up, putting her hands on his shoulders. "You were magnifiscent!" "Thank-you, Donna." Basara giggled, tipping his head foreward. "This final scene you'll be dancing with Duke Orsino in a costume masked ball." "B-but the final scene isn't a..." "We made some changes to the script." "Oh! I get it!" Basara giggled, then went to look for a ballroom mask. Brad followed Basara, wearing his ballroom mask as well. When Basara stepped back, he accidentally bumped into Brad. Turning around, the pretty snow-angel smiled sweetly. "Hello, Ross. Can you help me find a pretty mask?" From behind his cape, Brad pulled out a white cat mask and slid it softly on Basara's face. Giggling softly, Basara slid his hand in Brad's and smiled under the furry cat mask. "Ready for the big moment?" Brad nodded, keeping his silence. "You don't talk much, Ross. You're usually a yapper and you love to flatter me or yourself." He shrugged in response, Donna walked in and signalled for them to enter the stage. The two masked lovers walked in and got into a waltz stance and began to dance to Feste's music. "Something about you is strange, yet very familiar." Basara whispered under the gleem of the music. "Do I know you?" The resistance was too great, Brad leaned forward and kissed Basara during the waltz. Another actor nudged Brad, breaking him from his kiss, Brad and Basara continued waltzing. "...Brad? I-is that you?" "Yes." Brad whispered very softly, very lovingly. "Why did you...?" "I had a vision... you were attacked during the final scene." Brad replied, his fingers in between Basara's. "Oh Brad." "If anything happened to you..." Brad's eyes narrowed sadly under the mask. "I'd never forgive myself." Basara's smiles got a lot sweeter, more beautiful than before. "We should do this more often." Brad whispered, smiling back. "I hope so too." A shriek came from the audience as a cloaked figure jumped down and snagged Basara. Brad flew back into the seats, then got back up. The thing turned around as Brad began to advance on them, it turned its' claws to Basara's neck and hissed. "It's a vampire!" Kenshirou ripped Janus from the seat and put the katana to her throat. Tanaka had his Masamune at Janus's chest and the German mage had his gun to her temple. The vampire hissed and threw the fainted Basara into Brad's arms and ran for the three hostage takers. It smacked Kenshirou in the face, kicked the German in the gut and tripped Tanaka. Janus collapsed in the Nosferatu's arms, causing it to run off with her. Tanaka threw a spell at them as they made their getaway, finally, they were gone. "SCHEISSE!!!!" The German slammed his gun down against the ground. "They got away!" "Not quite." Tanaka got up and brushed himself off. "What makes you say that, brother?" Kenshirou adjusted his glasses. "I cast a temporal spell on Janus. She'll be feeling her age here shortly. The best part is, since she's Kin-Jin, it's totally irreversable." "Brilliance." The red-headed German grinned.   
  


***~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

  
  
"Nugh... what happened?" Janus reached for her purse, pulling out a compact mirror. "I feel like shit." Opening it up, she saw what exactly the spell had done to her. "DAUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" She screamed, throwing the mirror out the window. "DAMN YOU, MIDNIGHT!!!!!"   
  
  


**-Continued-**


	8. One Year Passes

  
  
  


**Heart of the Beast**  
_Part Eight: One Year Passes_

  
  
  
"It's been almost a year since Janus last showed her face around here." The German mage, Erik piped up, still staring aimlessly into the computer screen. "Good riddens too." "I'm sure whatever crimes she committed against Kindred and Lycanthrope alike will be properly punished." Kenshirou sat up and looked around, his slate-blue eyes looked at the rain-soaked window. Erik and Tanaka were too busy talking to see the younger twin heading for the window. The doctor unlocked the window and opened it, looking out into the rainy street. Seeing a distant figure running off, Kenshirou sprung into action by leaping down from the window. Chasing the object with great speed and endurance, Kenshirou could make out the distinct features of a Nosferatu vampire. The smell of the sewer mixed with the lingering odor of rain make Kenshirou almost gag with each stride. Drawing a red bladed katana, the handsome medical doctor picked up his speed and went in for the kill. Then the popping sound of a gun woke up the neighborhood, Kenshirou was tagged in the chest by a bullet. He stopped in his tracks as five large men with machine guns grinned vampire fangs. They had the symbol of the Brujah on their hats. The Nosferatu leapt over their shoulders and to safety. They were mildly surprised that Kenshirou was still highly active while blood seaped onto his white lab coat. The medical doctor wiped some of the excess from his chest and licked his fingers, then gave the vampires a grin they will never forget... if they live that long. Staring into Kenshirou's maddened eyes was like staring into the eyes of Satan himself. The Brujah pumped all machine gun fire at the mysterious doctor, only the find that they were hitting air. From out of nowhere, Kenshirou leapt down and sliced one of the soldiers in half with the red blade... from head to crotch. Whirling the blade around, he tagged another soldier in the head, slicing the top lobe off. The soldiers drew silver weapons, making Kenshirou smile even more. "Silly vampies... don't you know who I am? Hint: I am the opposite of Midnight therefore I can make..." Kenshirou raised his hand as a ball of light appeared within the clawed fingers. "...MAKE THE SUN RISE!!!" The vampires turned into piles of ash under the beams of the homemade sun. Kenshirou made the ball of light vanish and holstered the blade. "Damn..." He looked at the mud trails where the limousine took off moments before.   
  


***~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

  
  
"Hold still!" "OW!!!" "That's what Silly Ken-Ken gets for playing Romper Room with the Rabble." Erik grinned, watching Tanaka tend to Kenshirou's chest wound. "Well, I had to do something." "Did you see who it was you were following?" Tanaka asked, putting a gauze pad over the wound. "Yeah, it was Janus's chauffeur, Patches the Nosferatu." "...she's back." The Yakuza hitman looked at Erik, frowning. "I coulda told you that." Erik frowned back, equally concerned. "She probably wants revenge for you turning her from art fiend to Martha Stewart wannabe." "Ain't that the truth?" Tanaka's silver eyes locked into Kenshirou's through the shades, his hand delicately touched his cheek. "You should be more careful, Kenshirou. They might had something that would hurt us." "Fat chance of that happening." Kenshirou whispered, sliding his hand on top of Tanaka's. //_They're gonna neck again._// Erik thought, standing up. //_For all purposes, someone should explain to them that brotherly love doesn't necessarily mean doing it like rabbits..._// "Hey! Get a room!" Erik shouted over his minor repulsion, then pointed to the phone. "Don't you two love birds think someone should inform Herr Crawford and Herr Leonhart that the hag's in town??" "Forgot about that." "Well!!??? Stop making out and get to the phone!!"   
  


***~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

  
  
"Order's up!" Brad took the plates in his hands and carried them to the table in the corner, sitting there was Yugo and Fang, only a year older. The two at least, found solace in each other, at least Fang found purpose with Yugo by his side. Brad set the plates down and headed to the other tables to clear them, the door opened and a familiar figure stepped inside. Brad turned around and in stunning glory, was Basara wearing a nice formal evening wear and on his neck was a thin necklace with a sapphire and diamond snowflake. Basara was smiling very beautifully through his frost pink lips, his inviting pools of blue eyes made Brad drop all he was doing and walk over. "I'm sorry that I'm less than flattering right now." Brad smiled and kissed Basara's cheek. "I love the smell of Chinese cooking." Basara smiled as he sniffed Brad's shirt. "And a hard working man." "Let me get you a table." The arch-mage escorted Basara to a corner booth, then vanished in the back. "Long, I'm taking a break." "Oh, okay." Long nodded, then finished rolling an eggroll. Sitting in the corner booth with his lovely young boyfriend, Brad wrapped one arm around him and pulled him close. "What brand of perfume are you wearing? That smells so nice." "It's that new kind you gave me for my birthday." Basara smiled, his hand on Brad's knee. "It suits you." "Brad! I wanted to deliver the good news!" From his coin purse, Basara pulled up a letter and handed it to him. "You've been nominated for your role in Twelfth Night!?" Brad's midnight eyes lit up with excitement. "That's great!" "Isn't it though!? But..." Basara took Brad's hands in his. "I couldn't have done it without you." "Kitten." Brad smiled, they leaned forward and kissed deeply. With a jolt from his seat, Brad raised his glass and grinned. "The drinks are on me!" That rose a stir from the patrons of the restaurant, they clapped and cheered. Long stuck his head out to see the excitement. "What's going on?" Grandpa asked. "I dunno. But now everyone's gonna get plastered. Must be a celebration." "D'oh!!" Grandpa shouted. "What is that pea-headed American DOING!?!" "Whatever he wants, Grandpa... whatever he wants."   
  
  


**-Continued-**


	9. Ageless Evils

  
  
  
  


**Heart of the Beast**  
_Part Nine: Ageless Evils_

  
  
  
  
Rain fell silently on the city that night, the rhythmic pounding was enough to put anyone to sleep. However, there were sleepless creatures this night. Creatures who thirst for revenge and for blood. Deep within the cozy den of the penthouse condo, a warm fire was lit. Play scripts rested on the floor, some of them opened, some of them closed. Sleeping on the couch was the beautiful Basara, covered with a thick blanket and an empty glass of milk on the floor beside him. A figure emerged from the shadows, an ugly malformed vampire with chauffeur clothes on. It slowly went to Basara's bedside and drew hideous fangs, Basara smacked his lips in his sleep and turned to the side. The vampire reached to touch the locks of soft white hair when it heard the doorknob jiggle. It rushed for the window and leapt out, just as the door opened and Brad stepped in with a sack of groceries. "I'm home! Gods, it smells like sewer in here." Brad closed the window and set the sack down. "You're finally home." Basara smiled, stretching and sitting up. "They didn't have your brand." Brad smirked, pulling out a bottle of fine champaigne. "Needed something to go with the meal." "Oh Brad." Basara walked over to him, wrapping his arms around his lover, smiling. "I want tonight to be special." Brad's lips barely touched his frail lover's forehead. "Every night is special with you by my side." Brad smiled, he tipped Basara's chin up and kissed him softly, tenderly. There was a moment of blissful silence, when nothing else mattered. Brad's hands trailed slowly down the beautiful contours of Basara's slender body, feeling the warm soft skin his his fingertips. There was a sparkle in Basara's eyes, he licked his lips and unbuttoned Brad's shirt with his slender hands. "Wait..." The raven-haired arch-mage stopped his beauty from going any further. "The spaghetti..." "I forgot." Basara pulled away, allowing Brad to go into the kitchen. "Basara?" Brad asked from the comforts of the kitchen. "Yes, love?" The angel sat on the couch, his fingers touching the page of D. L. Lawrence's works. "Tell me..." He slowly began, stirring the sauce. "If you do win the Tony, how shall we celebrate?" "Hmmmmm. That is a toughy." Basara smiled, putting his finger to his lips. "What do we do if I don't win?" "We'll do the same thing we would do if you did." Brad smiled, tasting the sauce. "Such an achievement shouldn't go unrewarded." "Oh Brad." The Russian bishounen giggled, blushing. "You always say such kind things to me." "You deserve it." Brad smiled, then winked. Basara giggled, sitting on the couch, posing in a way. Brad finished with the spaghetti and walked into the living room with two plates flowing with pasta. Their wine glasses tapped together, Brad and Basara's eyes were too busy admiring each other. For the rest of the time, they were feeding each other in a sensual way.   
  


***~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

  
  
"Gotcha!" Erik sent the shadows whizzing past Patches in hopes to capture it. The Nosferatu dodged out of the way, only to be tackled from the side by Kenshirou. They tumbled onto the dirty street for a minute until Patches rammed Kenshirou against the brick wall and continued running. "He's getting away!" Tanaka leapt from the building and tackled Patches, this time keeping it pinned to the ground with his hands and knees. Patches snarled and tried to bite into Tanaka's flesh, but the Yakuza hitman kept his hands spaced apart so no teeth touched flesh. Erik walked over with a brick and grinned sadistically. "Talk or say good night." "I dare not betray my mistress!" Patches snarled, foaming at the mouth. "You pretty boys have no idea what you put her through with that temporal spell!!" "I have a good idea." Tanaka snarled back, his eyes were animal-like and his teeth with large canines. "Talk, scab!" "Why should I talk to pretty boys like you?" Patches snarled back at Yakuza hitman. "Good night." Erik raised the brick, yet, Tanaka did not stop him from bashing the Nosferatu's head in. Blood and brain matter flew everywhere, the body turned to ash before them. Getting up from the ground, Tanaka brushed the ash from his suit and walked over to the unconscious Kenshirou. He scooped him into his arms, gently, careful not to aggravate any wounds. The Yakuza hitman turned toward Erik, causing the German to blink. "Search for the limousine, it can't be too far." "Me? Why me? Aren't you gonna help?" "In case you hadn't noticed, Kenshirou's forehead is bleeding. I'm gonna care for him." "Alright alright." Erik walked away, shaking his head.   
Tanaka opened the door to the bedroom, still carrying Kenshirou in his arms. The bleeding finally had stopped, there were no other injuries to account for. Tanaka loosened the necktie around Kenshirou's neck, giving him more air to breathe. Kenshirou took bigger gasps, then finally went to normal, healthy level of breathing. Stroking the blood soaked strands of auburn red hair, Tanaka carefully removed Kenshirou's cracked frames from his face. Setting the glasses on the nightstand, Tanaka's thumb touched his brother's lips softly, causing a moaning reaction from his younger twin. Pressing his lips against Kenshirou's, the Yakuza hitman lightly gripped the bedsheets. The doctor's arms were around his brother, returning the passionate kisses with some of his own. Parting slowly only to stare into each other's eyes, the twins could feel their chests rising up and down. "Rest, brother." Tanaka whispered softly, then kissed his brother once again before standing. "Tanaka." Kenshirou grabbed Tanaka's hand, holding on for dear life. "I'll be here when you wake." Tanaka nodded, smiling. Kenshirou smiled back, then went back to sleep. Sitting in the chair next to the bed, Tanaka slid his shades back on his face, he lifted the collar of his business suit. There was a trace of blood on the collar, Tanaka rubbed the gauze under the collar and it came back bloody. He tossed it aside and looked at his sleeping brother. //_I'm not even sure I am immune to the kiss... we'll know in 3 days._//   
  
  


**-Continued-**


	10. Living in a Moment

  
  
  


**Heart of the Beast**  
_Part Ten: Living in a Moment_

  
  
  


***~*~*~*~Author's Notes~*~*~*~***

_This chapter is half-fic, half-song-chapter. The song is Ty Herndon's 'Living in a Moment'. It's country-western... sue me. Special appearance by Ty Herndon himself._   


***~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

  
  
  
"So good to get outta that restaurant for a change." Long smiled, with Lanfa and Uriko by his side. The fair looked so promising, so full of hope and fun. "Hey, Long! I wanna kitty!" The girls dragged him to the ball throwing booth, Long called out in surprise. On the other side of the fair was Brad and Basara, Basara was eating some cotton candy and Brad was munching on a large pretzel. They looked up as some music began to play, there was a stage where a handsome country singer was singing a few tunes to the dancers on the stage. Taking Brad by the hand and escorting him to the stage, Basara giggled and then turned toward Brad. The country singer spotted the happy lovers and smiled. He ended his tune and began another one. Brad and Basara began to dance to this one, the music was in'sync to their emotions. _Well The World Just Lost Two Lonely People  
The World Just Lost Two Broken Hearts  
The Odds Were Against It But Baby Here We Are  
In Our Own Little Place In Our Own Little Corner  
This Old Cold World Just Got A Little Warmer  
For The Rest Of My Life I'm Gonna Hold You In My Arms_ Sitting on his silver and red Yakuza Stinger overlooking the fair, Tanaka sat there in the moonlight. Kenshirou was by his side, his head on Tanaka's shoulder. They were listening to the words of the song on their radio. "You seem so sad, Tanaka. What's wrong?" "It's nothing, brother." Tanaka wrapped his arm around Kenshirou. "No matter what happens, Kenshirou. I will always be there to protect you." "...Y-you... sound like you're going to die. What's wrong, Tanaka. Tell me!" "...I've been bitten." Tanaka spoke softly, but enough for Kenshirou to hear. "N-no...!!" "I'm not sure us Hengeyokai are immune to the Vampire's Kiss. I'm waiting it out." Holding his brother in his arms tightly, Kenshirou held on for all his might. Tanaka held on also, his eyes watering. _And When They Carve My Stone All They Need To Write On It  
Is Once Lived A Man Who Got All He Ever Wanted  
Tell Me Something, Who Could Ask For More  
Than To Be Living In A Moment You Would Die For_ Erik looked up at the cliffside to see in his view, the Yakuza Stinger. Sighing, he turned toward the action on the stage and frowned. Walking to the hot dog vendor, Erik ordered a few hot dogs with everything on them and began to scarf them down in a heartbeat. "....dumbass doctor." Erik walked away from the fair, hands in pockets. _If I Never Get Rich On What Money Can Buy  
It Don't Matter To Me And I'll Tell You Why  
I've Got It All When I'm Holding You This Way  
I'll Live To Love You, I'd Die To Keep You  
Safe Inside These Arms That Need You  
I'll Be Loving You With The Very Last Breath I Take_ Brad and Basara danced to the tune of the song, Brad twirled Basara with his hand and slipped his arm around the beauty's waist. Basara giggled and danced with Brad, the dust from their steps settled, the country singer's guitar sung with his words. _And When They Carve My Stone All They Need To Write On It  
Is Once Lived A Man Who Got All He Ever Wanted  
Tell Me Something, Who Could Ask For More  
Than To Be Living In A Moment You Would Die For_ "Look Long!" Uriko pointed to the stage. "It's the cutie, Brad and his boyfriend!" Lanfa giggled and watched them dance. The singer smiled when Brad took Basara by the hand and they ran off into the night, giggling. He continued to sing the song with all emphysis on the words. _Ashes To Ashes Dust Into Dust  
I'll Lay Beside You Forever In Love  
  
And When They Carve My Stone All They Need To Write On It  
Is Once Lived A Man Who Got All He Ever Wanted  
Tell Me Something, Who Could Ask For More  
Than To Be Living In A Moment  
Loving Every Minute  
Tell Me Something, Who Could Ask For More  
Than To Be Living In A Moment You Would Die For_   
The audience clapped although the real reason for the song was gone. One of the stagehands turned toward the country singer and frowned. "You do realize, Mr. Herndon..." He whispered. "..you sang that song for two gay men." "So? Everyone deserves to be in love, despite the gender differences in their partner. I must admit... they do look so cute together."   
  
  


**-END-**


End file.
